This invention relates to ice skates and in particular to an improved ice skate blade holder assembly.
In conventional ice skate blade holder assemblies, a blade holder is secured to the skate boot and has a longitudinal slot into which the replaceable blade or "runner" is installed. The blade holder is typically attached to or formed integrally with heel and toe portions that attach to the underside of the skate boot.
This type of blade holder assembly has been extremely successful, particularly because the blade can be easily removed and replaced without replacing the entire blade holder assembly. However, maintaining rigidity along the central portion of the blade and blade holder (i.e., along the neck portion between the heel and toe portions) is often difficult due to the construction of the blade holder assembly itself, particularly for large and/or heavy individuals. Greater rigidity of the blade holder assembly would tend to reduce the stress in the neck portion of the blade holder. This is desirable because the plastic of the blade holder assembly can sometimes become brittle and fracture under excessive stress. In addition, greater rigidity of the blade holder assembly would decrease the tendency of the blade to warp under increased loading conditions.
One means of increasing the rigidity of the blade holder assembly is to incorporate a reinforcing strip in the neck portion of the plastic blade holder. See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,148 to Olivieri. The '148 patent discloses a longitudinally extending reinforcing composite-plastic or metal strip disposed within the neck portion of the blade holder. The reinforcing strip is intended to strengthen and stiffen the neck portion, thereby reducing stresses experienced by the plastic blade holder. According to the '148 patent, the resulting greater rigidity of the blade holder provides for better force transfer between the ice and the skate boot, via the attachments between the skate boot and the front and rear portions of the blade holder assembly.
However, the reinforced blade holder assembly of the '148 patent still has insufficient rigidity for some applications, such as aggressive skating, particularly for large and/or heavy individuals. It also suffers from other significant disadvantages due to the increase in the cross-sectional area and weight of the blade holder resulting from incorporation of the internal reinforcing strip.
In standard skate blade sharpening machines, the arms containing the sharpening/grinding surfaces are located very close to each other, and clearance between these arms is extremely limited. In order to sharpen a skate blade installed in a skate blade assembly, the skate blade assembly must be sufficiently narrow to fit into the confined arm space so that the skate blade will contact the sharpening/grinding surfaces. If the skate blade assembly does not fit, the skate blade must be (1) sharpened manually; (2) removed from the skate blade assembly, sharpened and then reattached to the skate blade assembly; or (3) sharpened on a specially constructed sharpening machine.
In the case of a reinforced blade holder constructed according to the disclosure of the '148 patent, the increased width of the blade holder will not fit into many standard sharpening machines. An individual seeking to sharpen such a skate blade must therefore expend additional time and effort in sharpening the skate, or must purchase a sharpening machine specially constructed to accommodate such a reinforced blade holder assembly.
Furthermore, the reinforcing of the skate blade assembly as disclosed in the '148 patent adds substantial weight. As disclosed in the '148 patent, the reinforcing strip is approximately one-half the size of the skate blade. Even if this strip were composed of a composite-plastic, it would add significant weight to the skate blade assembly. Where the strip is made of metal, as suggested in the '148 patent, the increase in skate weight would be substantial. The '148 patent recognizes that additional skate weight may be a drawback of adding the disclosed reinforcing member. To compensate for the increased weight, the '148 patent suggests removing wedges of material from the skate blade assembly and the skate blade itself. This would significantly increase the complexity and expense of manufacturing such a reinforced skate blade assembly and may reduce the integrity of the blade.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a skate blade assembly having increased torsional and longitudinal rigidity without significant increases in weight and/or manufacturing complexity of the skate blade assembly. In addition, there is a need for such a skate blade assembly in which the skate blade may be easily and conveniently sharpened using standard skate sharpening equipment.